It’s another bright day here and I’m enjoying the milder temps and sunny days! I took a hint from my color wheel and assembled today’s outfit.

I started with a new Kate Spade skirt I bought off of eBAY. It was a steal and is the most beautiful shade of pink. The blue top really picked up the blue undertones in the pink skirt and I am as bright as a Christmas ornament!

As I’m wearing the outfit at work, I toned down the brightness by adding a tailored denim jacket and added a statement necklace. Voila!

Like this:

It’s a rainy day here and very drab. I was thinking about how “ugly” it was outside today when I picked my attire this morning. I chose a bright (as in, don’t look directly at it for fear of blindness!) yellow jacket with a black and white striped skirt. Why not wear something bright on a rainy (or in some cases snowy) day? Bright colors are always so happy and eye catching yet many people shy away from them. Here’s a little guide I use for choosing and wearing bright colors.

When in doubt choose one bright color:

As you become more comfortable, you can possibly add an accent color but when first adding color to your wardrobe, stick to simple.

Start with a bright blouse or shirt under a dark jacket:

A bright blouse will shine underneath a darker jacket. This POP of color will brighten your wardrobe and your day! (as will the tons of compliments you receive!)

I see this very often, especially in summer. Someone is sporting one color from head to toe and to top it off, a beautiful necklace (and maybe earrings) of the same hue. Too much of a good thing is…uh… a bad thing. When you wear too much of one color (bright or not) it appears overwhelming and the outfit loses focus. Plus you can be identified as “the lady who wore that REALLY “insert bright color worn” outfit that day and caused everyone’s eyes to water”. No one wants to be that lady.

Pair a bright color with black and white patterns:

This is an instant hit! No matter what the black and white pattern, you can typically wear it with ANY bright color and it looks great! Browns and denims can also be used this way as they are neutrals. Check out my look for today as I’ve used this rule and paired my yellow jacket with a black and white striped skirt!

If at all possible, wear bright red lipstick:

Ok…this is just my personal mantra but I do SO enjoy red lipstick. And it often pairs wonderfully with bright colors! Give it a try!

When you’re ready…add a compatible color:

This can be tricky but if you get it right, the result is a whole lotta awesome! It may sound silly but you can use a color wheel to pick your wardrobe. Here are the rules:

Pick colors that:

Are directly next to each other (example: yellow and orange or yellow and green) OR

Form a right angle with each other (example: orange-yellow and red or red-orange and violet) OR

Directly across from each other (example: yellow and violet or orange and blue)